The Latest: US officials say no added conditions for NKorea

The Associated Press

Updated 11:06 pm, Sunday, March 11, 2018

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News that North Korea's Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks, caught long-time Asia followers by surprise when it was announced on the steps of the White House Thursday night. (March 9)

Media: Associated Press

The Latest on the announcement that President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (all times EDT):

10 a.m.

Trump administration officials say there will be no more conditions imposed on North Korea before a first-ever meeting of the two nation's leaders beyond the North's promise not to resume nuclear testing and missile flights, or publicly criticize U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

The officials are talking about this past week's announcement that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet the North's Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) by May.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tells NBC's "Meet the Press" that he expects the meeting to take place unless the North Koreans "don't meet their obligations on testing and on missiles."

People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, left, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 9, 2018. After months of trading insults and threats of nuclear annihilation, Trump agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un by the end of May to negotiate an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, South Korean and U.S. officials said Thursday. No sitting American president has ever met with a North Korea leader. The signs read: " Kim Jong Un understands that the routine joint military exercises between the South Korean and the United States must continue." less

People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, left, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 9, 2018. After months of trading insults ... more

Photo: Ahn Young-joon, AP

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FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters. President Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a stunning turn of events after a year that saw them engage in a heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. It remains to be seen whether a summit will take place or lead to a meaningful breakthrough in the nations’ relationship. less

FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters. President Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with ... more

Photo: Richard Drew, AP

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FILE - This Aug. 29, 2017, file photo distributed on Aug. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a stunning turn of events after a year that saw them engage in a heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. It remains to be seen whether a summit will take place or lead to a meaningful breakthrough in the nations’ relationship.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) less

FILE - This Aug. 29, 2017, file photo distributed on Aug. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. ... more

Photo: AP

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The Latest: US officials say no added conditions for NKorea

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Deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah says on ABC's "This Week" that North Korea also must refrain from public criticism of the military exercises that are expected to be held in April. There has been no official announcement of dates.

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8 a.m.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the diplomatic push to solve the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis is at such a delicate stage that he won't publicly discuss the talks or related issues such as U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

He's referring to the announcement that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) by May.

Mattis tells reporters traveling with him to the Middle East that there's a high potential for misunderstanding public remarks about issues linked to the diplomatic maneuvering.

The Pentagon chief won't discuss the timing and scale of annual U.S.-South Korean military maneuvers that were postponed during the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea. Those exercises are expected to be held in April, but no official announcement has been made.